Do you consider yourself a righteous person? If so, on what basis do you feel that way? You might say that you give to the poor, help people in need, go to church on Sunday, mow the church lawn, and so on. These are all very good deeds, but they do not make you a righteous person. The Bible tells us that none of us are righteous.
Romans; 3:10
(As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;)
We are all sinners and fall short of the divine standard of moral perfection. Only God is inherently righteous.
Deuteronomy; 32:4
(He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.)
Job; 9:2
("Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God?)
So if none of us are righteous in and of our self, how and where do we receive this righteousness? The Scripture reveals that on the basis of faith, and faith alone, God will impute His righteousness to ungodly sinners.
Romans; 3:21-24
(But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus.)
So we see that we cannot attain it by our self. It comes from God through Jesus to us. We have hope but only if we put our faith in Jesus. It is not because of our works, it is a gift to us from God to all who believe and put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans; 4:5-6
(But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:)
When Jesus went to the cross, He bore all of our sins on Himself. Why would He do that for us? It was our only chance of ever receiving salvation. We are all sinners and doomed to eternal damnation. Only through Jesus Christ can we attain salvation, and that by faith and believing.
He bore our sins so we could bear His righteousness.
2Corinthians; 5:21
(For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.)
Remember, it is never what we have done but only what God has done for us. He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place. And because Jesus came and died in our place, we can have eternal life through Him. Give your life to Jesus today and put your faith and belief in Him. It is your only hope.
God Bless You!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Are You Hardening Your Heart?
The Scripture talks a lot about hardening our hearts against God. How do we harden our hearts against God? One way is by continually saying no to Jesus. The more we say no to something, the easier it gets to say no. It is the same way with the invitation to repent of our sins. When a person hears the Holy Spirit talking to him or her about coming to Jesus and he or she says no, that is the beginning of hardening the heart to the calling of salvation. You at that point have said no to Jesus in your heart. Maybe you thought you would come to Him at some other time or maybe you don't ever plan on giving your life to Jesus. The point is that you have just started the hardening process.
The Bible tells us that we cannot escape the coming judgement if we don't accept the free gift of life in Jesus Christ. Salvation is in Jesus Christ and Him alone.
Hebrews; 2:3
(how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,)
We are offered eternal life as a free gift of God through Jesus Christ and still there are people who refuse the gift. Why? Because they loved the darkness of evil rather than the light of life. Jesus is the light of men.
John; 1:4
(In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.)
If you are living in sin, you are not going to want to have your sin exposed to everyone, so you continue to have it hidden from the light. This is a continual hardening of your heart. You are still saying no to God, I don't want what you have to offer.
The day is coming when it will be to late to reverse the hardening. What I mean by this is that you will die in your sins and face the coming judgement. There will be no second chance to accept the free gift from God. You will have had your chance for life but you chose to harden your heart by saying no to Jesus. You will have rejected the only way to have eternal life in heaven.
John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
You can have that free gift of life if you will just say yes to Jesus. He is there waiting for you to come to Him for forgiveness, and He will not turn you away. He loves you and wants to save you, but you must come to Him for that gift. No matter what the world has to offer, it doesn't compare to the joy of knowing Jesus as your Savior and Lord. The world cannot say that they are of child of God, but you will be able to say you are.
1John; 3:1-2
(Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.)
What a wonderful promise we have from God. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel pretty good to know that I am a child of God. I have a home in heaven waiting for me.
Come to Jesus before it is too late. We don't know how much time we have before we will die. What we do know is that while we are alive, there is still hope for forgiveness. So as the Scriptures say:
Hebrews; 3:7-8
(Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the day of rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,)
Today is the day, there might not be a tomorrow.
God Bless You!
The Bible tells us that we cannot escape the coming judgement if we don't accept the free gift of life in Jesus Christ. Salvation is in Jesus Christ and Him alone.
Hebrews; 2:3
(how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,)
We are offered eternal life as a free gift of God through Jesus Christ and still there are people who refuse the gift. Why? Because they loved the darkness of evil rather than the light of life. Jesus is the light of men.
John; 1:4
(In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.)
If you are living in sin, you are not going to want to have your sin exposed to everyone, so you continue to have it hidden from the light. This is a continual hardening of your heart. You are still saying no to God, I don't want what you have to offer.
The day is coming when it will be to late to reverse the hardening. What I mean by this is that you will die in your sins and face the coming judgement. There will be no second chance to accept the free gift from God. You will have had your chance for life but you chose to harden your heart by saying no to Jesus. You will have rejected the only way to have eternal life in heaven.
John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
You can have that free gift of life if you will just say yes to Jesus. He is there waiting for you to come to Him for forgiveness, and He will not turn you away. He loves you and wants to save you, but you must come to Him for that gift. No matter what the world has to offer, it doesn't compare to the joy of knowing Jesus as your Savior and Lord. The world cannot say that they are of child of God, but you will be able to say you are.
1John; 3:1-2
(Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.)
What a wonderful promise we have from God. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel pretty good to know that I am a child of God. I have a home in heaven waiting for me.
Come to Jesus before it is too late. We don't know how much time we have before we will die. What we do know is that while we are alive, there is still hope for forgiveness. So as the Scriptures say:
Hebrews; 3:7-8
(Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the day of rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,)
Today is the day, there might not be a tomorrow.
God Bless You!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
God Will Forgive You If You Ask For Forgiveness!
I am so glad that I have a heavenly Father who will forgive me and cleanse me. We are told all through the Bible that if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. How many times have we had someone tell us they didn't know if they could forgive someone who had hurt them? We are told to forgive others just as God has forgiven us.
Matthew; 6:12
(And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.)
So what is being said here? We are asking God to forgive us and telling Him that we have forgiven others. Now if you do not forgive others, how can you expect God to forgive you when you aren't obeying Him.
Matthew; 6:14-15
("For if you forgive others for their transgressions, you heavenly Father will also forgive you. "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.)
This is not to say that God will withdraw your free pardon from sin that was given to you when you believed in Jesus Christ. Believers are to confess our sins daily in order to receive day to day cleansing. It is like the washing of our feet as compared to a bath. The cleansing that Christ does at salvation never needs to be repeated, atonement is complete at that point. We just need to be washed daily because of the defilement of daily sin. Now you may say that you are not sinning, but what does the Scripture?
1John; 1:8
(If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.)
Just because you have given your life to Jesus, doesn't mean that you will never sin again. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world prone to sinning, and we will sin again. But our sins have been forgiven, past, present, and future sins. Now that is not a licence to continue sinning. We are to stop living in the flesh and live by the Spirit. We are to yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him be in control of our life. If we do, He will help us win the battle against sin.
Confession of sin characterizes genuine Christians, and God continually cleanses those who are confessing.
1John; 1:9
(If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)
We are all sinners and in need of cleansing and forgiveness. Thank Jesus that we can have this forgiveness from God.
Ephesians; 4:32
(And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ Jesus forgave you.)
Colossians; 2:8-9
(And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting
of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.)
We need to continually confess our sins so that we can have daily cleansing. We also need to thank Jesus for going to the cross to die in our place. Our sins were nailed on the cross that day with Jesus and He paid the price for us. Now we can have forgiveness of sins through Him.
God Bless You!
Matthew; 6:12
(And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.)
So what is being said here? We are asking God to forgive us and telling Him that we have forgiven others. Now if you do not forgive others, how can you expect God to forgive you when you aren't obeying Him.
Matthew; 6:14-15
("For if you forgive others for their transgressions, you heavenly Father will also forgive you. "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.)
This is not to say that God will withdraw your free pardon from sin that was given to you when you believed in Jesus Christ. Believers are to confess our sins daily in order to receive day to day cleansing. It is like the washing of our feet as compared to a bath. The cleansing that Christ does at salvation never needs to be repeated, atonement is complete at that point. We just need to be washed daily because of the defilement of daily sin. Now you may say that you are not sinning, but what does the Scripture?
1John; 1:8
(If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.)
Just because you have given your life to Jesus, doesn't mean that you will never sin again. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world prone to sinning, and we will sin again. But our sins have been forgiven, past, present, and future sins. Now that is not a licence to continue sinning. We are to stop living in the flesh and live by the Spirit. We are to yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him be in control of our life. If we do, He will help us win the battle against sin.
Confession of sin characterizes genuine Christians, and God continually cleanses those who are confessing.
1John; 1:9
(If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)
We are all sinners and in need of cleansing and forgiveness. Thank Jesus that we can have this forgiveness from God.
Ephesians; 4:32
(And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ Jesus forgave you.)
Colossians; 2:8-9
(And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting
of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.)
We need to continually confess our sins so that we can have daily cleansing. We also need to thank Jesus for going to the cross to die in our place. Our sins were nailed on the cross that day with Jesus and He paid the price for us. Now we can have forgiveness of sins through Him.
God Bless You!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
For Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen!
You might say, "that's not fair" but who are we to question God? God tell us in His word that he doesn't want any to perish, but all to come to repentance and be saved.
1Timothy; 2:3-4
(For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.)
We can't blame anything on God. You might ask how do I know if I'm chosen? If you come to Jesus for salvation and accept Him as you Savior, then you are chosen. If you come to Jesus and decide you don't believe Him and don't want anything to do with Him as your Savior, then you are not chosen. Why! Because you have rejected Jesus, the only source of salvation. There is salvation in no one else, He is the only way.
Acts; 4:12
(Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.)
Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.
John; 14:21
(He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.")
We have to make a choice, do we love Jesus or do we love to do our own will more? Take a dog which sees a rabbit. He will give chase after that rabbit and you call him to come back. He stops and looks back at you and then at the rabbit. Now he has to make a choice, does he love you more than chasing that rabbit? The rabbit chase will be fun for the moment, but then there will be punishment for disobedience. We have the choice to love Jesus and obey Him and accept Him as our Savior, or to love sinning and be punished for our sins.
So how do we know if we are chosen or not? It's very simple. Do you love Jesus more than sinning. Do you want to live in obedience to God or obedience to your flesh? If we choose to follow God, and accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we will have eternal life in heaven. If we choose the world, there might be pleasure in sin for the moment, but afterwards a terrible fear of judgment with our destiny being the lake of fire. God hates sin and He will punish those who choose sin over salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. God sent His Son to save you and give you a way to escape eternal punishment.
John; 3:16
(For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.)
Now even though we are chosen by God before the foundations of the world for salvation, we still have a choice. Do we believe God and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, or do we choose not to believe God and reject Jesus as Lord and Savior? The choice is yours to make. So you see, you cannot blame God for your choice, even though He does know what choice you will make. I pray that you will make the right choice and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you do, you are one of the chosen.
God Bless You!
1Timothy; 2:3-4
(For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.)
We can't blame anything on God. You might ask how do I know if I'm chosen? If you come to Jesus for salvation and accept Him as you Savior, then you are chosen. If you come to Jesus and decide you don't believe Him and don't want anything to do with Him as your Savior, then you are not chosen. Why! Because you have rejected Jesus, the only source of salvation. There is salvation in no one else, He is the only way.
Acts; 4:12
(Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.)
Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.
John; 14:21
(He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.")
We have to make a choice, do we love Jesus or do we love to do our own will more? Take a dog which sees a rabbit. He will give chase after that rabbit and you call him to come back. He stops and looks back at you and then at the rabbit. Now he has to make a choice, does he love you more than chasing that rabbit? The rabbit chase will be fun for the moment, but then there will be punishment for disobedience. We have the choice to love Jesus and obey Him and accept Him as our Savior, or to love sinning and be punished for our sins.
So how do we know if we are chosen or not? It's very simple. Do you love Jesus more than sinning. Do you want to live in obedience to God or obedience to your flesh? If we choose to follow God, and accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we will have eternal life in heaven. If we choose the world, there might be pleasure in sin for the moment, but afterwards a terrible fear of judgment with our destiny being the lake of fire. God hates sin and He will punish those who choose sin over salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. God sent His Son to save you and give you a way to escape eternal punishment.
John; 3:16
(For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.)
Now even though we are chosen by God before the foundations of the world for salvation, we still have a choice. Do we believe God and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, or do we choose not to believe God and reject Jesus as Lord and Savior? The choice is yours to make. So you see, you cannot blame God for your choice, even though He does know what choice you will make. I pray that you will make the right choice and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you do, you are one of the chosen.
God Bless You!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Be Careful How We Judge!
Since the first article about Michael Vick's arrest, I have read how awful his crime was. Yes it is appalling, but how is it any worse than any other sin? Don't get me wrong, I don't like what he was doing, but we need to be very careful how we judge him in our own mind. We have all made big time mistakes in our life, and not one of us is without sin. When the woman who was caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, they said that according to their law, she was to be stoned, but what did Jesus say them?
John; 8:7
(But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.")
It's easy for us to say how awful this crime was to treat these dogs this way and is was bad, but we are not Michael Vick's judge. We have a legal system to judge him and we need to let that system work. He says that he has become a Christian now and has asked God to forgive him. If that is true, we need to forgive him as well. Sin is sin and a repentant sinner who comes to God for forgiveness is forgiven. He will suffer the consequences of his crime, but he has been forgiven by God. I pray that he truly has found Jesus as Lord of his life and now is a part of the family of God.
Remember that we are all sinners and if we have come to Jesus for forgiveness, then we have been forgiven. Don't be caught up in the Michael Vick trashing. We as born again Christians are not to be slandering others. God is our Judge!
God Bless You!
John; 8:7
(But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.")
It's easy for us to say how awful this crime was to treat these dogs this way and is was bad, but we are not Michael Vick's judge. We have a legal system to judge him and we need to let that system work. He says that he has become a Christian now and has asked God to forgive him. If that is true, we need to forgive him as well. Sin is sin and a repentant sinner who comes to God for forgiveness is forgiven. He will suffer the consequences of his crime, but he has been forgiven by God. I pray that he truly has found Jesus as Lord of his life and now is a part of the family of God.
Remember that we are all sinners and if we have come to Jesus for forgiveness, then we have been forgiven. Don't be caught up in the Michael Vick trashing. We as born again Christians are not to be slandering others. God is our Judge!
God Bless You!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I Don't Believe, It Can't Be True!
I'm sure you have heard people say, "I don't believe a loving God would send anyone into the lake of fire for eternity." Choosing not to believe something doesn't mean it isn't true. You have heard people say that they don't believe in the devil, but he does exist. People have said that they don't believe there is a God, but He does exist. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us that God does exist and we all know it by what He has created. Believing or not believing is a choice we must make during our lifetime here on earth. The choice we make will determine our eternal destiny, whether we spend it in Heaven, or the lake of fire. Maybe you don't believe in either of the two, but it is true and they do exist.
Let's look at what the Word of God has to say about both of them. We will start with hell or the lake of fire.
Matthew; 10:28
(Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.)
If your name isn't in the Book of Life, your destiny will be the lake of fire.
Revelation; 20:14-15
(Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.)
There are many other places in the Bible that speak of hell and the lake of fire, but I have given you two. God tells us that hell does exist and God doesn't lie.
Now let's talk about God Himself. He has exhibited His power all through the Bible, and told us that He exist.
Genesis; 1:1
(In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.)
God also made man.
Genesis; 2:7
(Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.)
God doesn't say that we evolved from and ape or anything else, but that He made us. You may chose not to believe this, but that doesn't change the fact that God made us no matter what scientist try to say. Satan tries everything possible to make us believe the lie. He doesn't want us to believe in God.
God tells us that we all know that he exist and we won't have an excuse on the day of judgment. Saying that we didn't believe won't help us.
Romans; 1:18-20
(For the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.)
If you have even thought about what you are going to say to God at the judgment, He tells you right here you will not have an excuse. So saying you don't believe, doesn't mean it isn't so. You have a choice to make in your life You can choose to believe in the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, and have eternal life, or you can choose not to believe in Jesus Christ and end up in the lake of fire.
BELIEVE IN JESUS!
John; 3:16
(For God so loved the world that, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.)
John; 3:18
(He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.)
John; 8:24
("Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.")
We only have one life down here, and after that the judgment. By choosing not to believe in God, we will face that judgment resulting in the eternal lake of fire. You cannot ride the fence and say that you neither believe nor disbelieve. Not believing is a choice to pay for your sins yourself. The wages of sin is death in case you have forgotten. Choose Jesus and have your sins forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life from God. Jesus has already paid the price for your sins when He died on the cross. Accept His forgiveness.
God Bless You!
Let's look at what the Word of God has to say about both of them. We will start with hell or the lake of fire.
Matthew; 10:28
(Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.)
If your name isn't in the Book of Life, your destiny will be the lake of fire.
Revelation; 20:14-15
(Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.)
There are many other places in the Bible that speak of hell and the lake of fire, but I have given you two. God tells us that hell does exist and God doesn't lie.
Now let's talk about God Himself. He has exhibited His power all through the Bible, and told us that He exist.
Genesis; 1:1
(In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.)
God also made man.
Genesis; 2:7
(Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.)
God doesn't say that we evolved from and ape or anything else, but that He made us. You may chose not to believe this, but that doesn't change the fact that God made us no matter what scientist try to say. Satan tries everything possible to make us believe the lie. He doesn't want us to believe in God.
God tells us that we all know that he exist and we won't have an excuse on the day of judgment. Saying that we didn't believe won't help us.
Romans; 1:18-20
(For the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.)
If you have even thought about what you are going to say to God at the judgment, He tells you right here you will not have an excuse. So saying you don't believe, doesn't mean it isn't so. You have a choice to make in your life You can choose to believe in the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, and have eternal life, or you can choose not to believe in Jesus Christ and end up in the lake of fire.
BELIEVE IN JESUS!
John; 3:16
(For God so loved the world that, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.)
John; 3:18
(He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.)
John; 8:24
("Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.")
We only have one life down here, and after that the judgment. By choosing not to believe in God, we will face that judgment resulting in the eternal lake of fire. You cannot ride the fence and say that you neither believe nor disbelieve. Not believing is a choice to pay for your sins yourself. The wages of sin is death in case you have forgotten. Choose Jesus and have your sins forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life from God. Jesus has already paid the price for your sins when He died on the cross. Accept His forgiveness.
God Bless You!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
You Are Different!
Have you noticed that your friends you had before you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior have either become Christians or they have gone their own way? Now I'm not saying that all of them have left, but I'm sure that some have because you are a different person from who you used to be. When Jesus comes into your life he gives you a new thought process from what you had before you became a Christian. The things you used to do without giving it a second thought, you now won't do because Jesus has said to live a holy life. It takes time to change, but you will change. You are now alive spiritually, and not dead in your sins. You now have the Holy Spirit living in you and giving you direction on how to live. You are becoming a new creation in Christ.
God will mold you into the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ. Your friends will see the change in your life and they will either want what you have, or they will move their own way. God tell us that they will wonder why you have changed.
1Peter; 4:4
(In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;)
In your past, you may have participated in some of the worldly desires of the flesh. Now you want to do the will of God.
1Peter; 4:3
(For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desires of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.)
You are a new creation in Christ, and He expects you to be a light in the world.
2Corinthians; 5:17
(Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.)
You aren't the same person you used to be and others will notice the change. We are to be living witnesses, and the way we live our life tells others a lot about who we have become. We have a new life and our goal is to obey God and give Him the glory in all that we say and do. We are to tell others about Jesus and the new hope we have in our life.
1Peter; 3:15
(but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;)
Remember, your friends are watching you to see how you live. How you live could bring them to Jesus for forgiveness us their sins and the Gift of Life which is in Jesus Christ.
God Bless You!
God will mold you into the likeness of His Son Jesus Christ. Your friends will see the change in your life and they will either want what you have, or they will move their own way. God tell us that they will wonder why you have changed.
1Peter; 4:4
(In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;)
In your past, you may have participated in some of the worldly desires of the flesh. Now you want to do the will of God.
1Peter; 4:3
(For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desires of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.)
You are a new creation in Christ, and He expects you to be a light in the world.
2Corinthians; 5:17
(Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.)
You aren't the same person you used to be and others will notice the change. We are to be living witnesses, and the way we live our life tells others a lot about who we have become. We have a new life and our goal is to obey God and give Him the glory in all that we say and do. We are to tell others about Jesus and the new hope we have in our life.
1Peter; 3:15
(but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;)
Remember, your friends are watching you to see how you live. How you live could bring them to Jesus for forgiveness us their sins and the Gift of Life which is in Jesus Christ.
God Bless You!
Thursday, August 09, 2007
What Makes People Quit Church?
I was reading in the USA Today and there was an article on what young adults thought about church. Their survey stated that seven out of ten young people ages 18 to 30 have quit going to church by age 23 even though they had attended regularly as teenagers. I don't know how accurate the survey is even though I was one of those who quit in my 20's but came back to church by age 30. Why did I quit? I had no good reason other than I just didn't feel I needed to attend church. I thought I was saved and that was all I needed to do. But looking back on it, I had said the words, but my heart wasn't right and I wasn't saved. How do I know? In 1984 I gave my life to Jesus, and now I know I am saved.
I think the reason young people quit is that their parents have forced them to go to church when they didn't want to, and when they grew up and could make the choice, they chose to quit. It's sad, but I think it's the reason. Here are some of the reasons young adults gave to USA Today.
Why we left.
1-Wanted a break from church.
2-Found church members judgmental or hypocritical.
3-Moved to college.
4-Tied up with work.
5-Moved to far away from home church.
6-Too busy.
7-Felt disconnected from people at church.
8-Disagreed with church's stance on political/social issues.
9-Spent more time with friends outside of church.
10-Went only to please others.
For those who have continued to attend church, these are the reasons why they continued.
1-It's vital to my relationship with God.
2-It helps guide my decisions in everyday life.
3-It helps me become a better person.
4-I am following a family member's example.
5-Church activities were a big part of my life.
6-It helps in getting through a difficult time.
7-I fear living without spiritual guidance.
For those who have quit, we need to pray for them, that they will return before it is too late. If a person doesn't want to be around other believers now, will they want to spend eternity with the same believers? Only God knows the heart of everyone, whether it is harden or not. If you are not attending church, are you then reading your Bible at home? If you are not reading at home, how are you going to grow in your spiritual life? How will you know what God expects from you, and what his will is for you?
If you are truly born again, Jesus tells us that we must abide in Him. If we chose not to abide in Him, we can do nothing on our own.
Matthew; 15:4-5
(Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.)
God has given some as pastors to teach us so that we can do the work of God. If you chose not to attend and learn, how will you know what to say when the time comes?
Ephesians; 4:11-12
(And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;)
Put God first in your life, not your friends. Jesus is the one who has eternal life, not your friends. You will want to spend eternity with Jesus, not with any unsaved friends. The unsaved are going to end up in the lake of fire. That will be their destiny, separated from God.
Revelation; 20:15
(And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.)
Going to church doesn't save you, but giving your life to Jesus Christ does save you. If you don't have any desire for God, do a salvation check in your life. Check to see whether you are truly born again.
God Bless You!
I think the reason young people quit is that their parents have forced them to go to church when they didn't want to, and when they grew up and could make the choice, they chose to quit. It's sad, but I think it's the reason. Here are some of the reasons young adults gave to USA Today.
Why we left.
1-Wanted a break from church.
2-Found church members judgmental or hypocritical.
3-Moved to college.
4-Tied up with work.
5-Moved to far away from home church.
6-Too busy.
7-Felt disconnected from people at church.
8-Disagreed with church's stance on political/social issues.
9-Spent more time with friends outside of church.
10-Went only to please others.
For those who have continued to attend church, these are the reasons why they continued.
1-It's vital to my relationship with God.
2-It helps guide my decisions in everyday life.
3-It helps me become a better person.
4-I am following a family member's example.
5-Church activities were a big part of my life.
6-It helps in getting through a difficult time.
7-I fear living without spiritual guidance.
For those who have quit, we need to pray for them, that they will return before it is too late. If a person doesn't want to be around other believers now, will they want to spend eternity with the same believers? Only God knows the heart of everyone, whether it is harden or not. If you are not attending church, are you then reading your Bible at home? If you are not reading at home, how are you going to grow in your spiritual life? How will you know what God expects from you, and what his will is for you?
If you are truly born again, Jesus tells us that we must abide in Him. If we chose not to abide in Him, we can do nothing on our own.
Matthew; 15:4-5
(Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.)
God has given some as pastors to teach us so that we can do the work of God. If you chose not to attend and learn, how will you know what to say when the time comes?
Ephesians; 4:11-12
(And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;)
Put God first in your life, not your friends. Jesus is the one who has eternal life, not your friends. You will want to spend eternity with Jesus, not with any unsaved friends. The unsaved are going to end up in the lake of fire. That will be their destiny, separated from God.
Revelation; 20:15
(And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.)
Going to church doesn't save you, but giving your life to Jesus Christ does save you. If you don't have any desire for God, do a salvation check in your life. Check to see whether you are truly born again.
God Bless You!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
What If This Was Your Last Day On Earth?
What if this was our last day on earth? Would we be doing things differently or just the same as any other day? None of us know the day or hour we will die. The Bible tells us to be alert and ready for we do not know the day or hour when Jesus will return. So what would we do differently if we did know? Would we tell that person we haven't told about Jesus? Maybe it is a family member that we have been planning to talk to but we have put it off. Maybe it is our self and we need to give our life to Jesus. Would you do it today if you knew it was your last chance to have eternal life?
Maybe today is going to be your last chance to have eternal life in Jesus Christ. Remember, it isn't any thing that we have done or can do that will get us into Heaven. It is the gift of God to all who believe and come to Jesus for eternal life. I know there is the belief out there that says if we can be good enough, God will let us in, but that doesn't line up with Scripture. When you are born again, you are given a new life in Jesus Christ. Your old life is done away with and you are a new creation in Christ. This means that God has given you spiritual life. You now have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you to be a helper and a guide into all Spiritual knowledge. Before you have Christ in your life, you are spiritually dead.
We are all on one of two ways in life. One way leads to eternal life, one way leads to destruction and eternal separation from God. "MEANING IN HELL"
Matthew; 7:13-14
("Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.)
Matthew; 7:21
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.)
Salvation is by grace alone, but it is not easy. It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentance, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and Word.
Jesus is the way and the only way to eternal life.
John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
1John; 5:12
(He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.)
Today is the day to make your decision for life in Jesus Christ.
God Bless You!
Maybe today is going to be your last chance to have eternal life in Jesus Christ. Remember, it isn't any thing that we have done or can do that will get us into Heaven. It is the gift of God to all who believe and come to Jesus for eternal life. I know there is the belief out there that says if we can be good enough, God will let us in, but that doesn't line up with Scripture. When you are born again, you are given a new life in Jesus Christ. Your old life is done away with and you are a new creation in Christ. This means that God has given you spiritual life. You now have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you to be a helper and a guide into all Spiritual knowledge. Before you have Christ in your life, you are spiritually dead.
We are all on one of two ways in life. One way leads to eternal life, one way leads to destruction and eternal separation from God. "MEANING IN HELL"
Matthew; 7:13-14
("Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.)
Matthew; 7:21
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.)
Salvation is by grace alone, but it is not easy. It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentance, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and Word.
Jesus is the way and the only way to eternal life.
John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
1John; 5:12
(He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.)
Today is the day to make your decision for life in Jesus Christ.
God Bless You!
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Why Is Jesus The Only Way To Heaven?
Why did Jesus come down to earth to die on the cross? He could had said no, but He loved us so much that He was willing to come and die. It was our only hope for eternal life. There was no other way for forgiveness of sin.
John; 3:16
(For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.)
God hates sin, but He loves us even though we are sinners.
Romans; 3:23
(for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,)
There is not one of us who is without sin.
Why can't I just do good works here on earth and work my way into Heaven?
Ephesians; 2:8-9
(For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.)
Are you sure that I have to go through Jesus to get to Heaven?
John; 3:17
("For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.)
Acts; 4:12
("And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.")
John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.)
1John; 5:11-12
(And the testimony is this, that God has given to us eternal life , and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.)
What must we do then to be saved? You must believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that He will save all who come to Him for salvation. You must confess that you are a sinner and repent of your sins. God loves us and He doesn't want any of us to perish, but we must believe in His Son Jesus to be saved.
Romans; 10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.)
Jesus is the Shepherd, we are His sheep, He will protect and save us.
John; 10:27-28
("My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.)
Put your trust and faith in Jesus today. Don't listen to what the world says. He is the only true God and Savior. There are many false prophets out there saying they have the way to eternal life, but Jesus who created everything that exist, including you and me, He says He is the only way to eternal life. I put my faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life. You can do the same and know that you have eternal life in Him. You may never get another chance to accept Him as Savior. Do it today.
God Bless You!
John; 3:16
(For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.)
God hates sin, but He loves us even though we are sinners.
Romans; 3:23
(for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,)
There is not one of us who is without sin.
Why can't I just do good works here on earth and work my way into Heaven?
Ephesians; 2:8-9
(For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.)
Are you sure that I have to go through Jesus to get to Heaven?
John; 3:17
("For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.)
Acts; 4:12
("And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.")
John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.)
1John; 5:11-12
(And the testimony is this, that God has given to us eternal life , and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.)
What must we do then to be saved? You must believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that He will save all who come to Him for salvation. You must confess that you are a sinner and repent of your sins. God loves us and He doesn't want any of us to perish, but we must believe in His Son Jesus to be saved.
Romans; 10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.)
Jesus is the Shepherd, we are His sheep, He will protect and save us.
John; 10:27-28
("My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.)
Put your trust and faith in Jesus today. Don't listen to what the world says. He is the only true God and Savior. There are many false prophets out there saying they have the way to eternal life, but Jesus who created everything that exist, including you and me, He says He is the only way to eternal life. I put my faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life. You can do the same and know that you have eternal life in Him. You may never get another chance to accept Him as Savior. Do it today.
God Bless You!
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